Sequence counter



J GILL SEQUENCE COUNTER Dec. 8, 1964 Filed Jan. 20. 1960 IN V EN TOR.

BY d), W9

United States Patent 3,160,794 SEQUENCE C(BUNTER Joseph Gill, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor, by niesue assign= ments, to Hagan Controls Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 20, 1960, Ser. No. 3,622 5 Claims. (Cl. 317-439) This invention relates to the art of sequence counters, more particularly of the .relay operated type.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a counter unit with relatively few parts and simple circuitry and which utilizes conventional relays to effect a sequential counting action at relatively high speed and which is dependable in operation and not likely to break down, even with long repeated use.

Another object is to provide a bi-stable control unit adapted to control said counter unit to effect such sequential counting action, which control unit also has rclativcly few parts and simple circuitry and utilizes conventional relays to provide two outputs for each input thereto and which is dependable in operation and not likely to break down, even with long repeated use.

According to the invention these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and more particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of the counting unit and associated bi-stable control unit, and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a single contact switch to control the bi-stable control unit.

Referring now to the drawings, the sequential counter unit comprises a relay bank B having a plurality of relays RL, illustratively ten in number and designated RL-tl, RL1 through RL-9. The relays which are of the polarized type, preferably mercury relays, have a set coil SC and a reset coil RC and a movable contact arm 11 which normally engages a fixed contact 12 and is spaced from fixed contact 13.

One end of each of the set coils SC of relays RL-tl, RL-Z, RL-4, RL-6 and RL-S is connected to common lead 14, which is connected to terminal T-1, and one end of each of the set coils SC of relays RL-l, RL-3, RL-S, RL-7 and RL-9 is connected to common lead 15, which is connected to terminal T-2. The other end of coil SC of relay RL-tl is connected to the positive side of diode 20, the negative side of which is connected to terminal T-3 connected to ground.

Each of the relays RL-(l, RL-1 through RL9 has an associated output terminal OT-O, OT-1 through OT-9, connected by lead 16 through an associated indicator lamp17 to positive, and by lead 18 to the associated fixed contact 13.

The fixed contact 13 of each of the relays is connected by lead 21 to the negative side of a diode 23, the positive side of which is connected to the other end of the coil SC of the next relay. The contact arm 11 of relay RL9 is connected by lead 24 to fixed contact 12 of relay Rio-1; the contact arm 11 of relay RL-l is connected by lead 24 to fixed contact 12 of relay RL-Z and so on, the contact 11 of relay RL-9 being connected by lead 25 to terminal T-4 connected to ground.

One end of each of the reset coils RC of relays RL-O, RL-l to RL-S is connected to positive. The other end of each of said coils is connected to the positive side of a diode 27, the negative side of which is connected to common lead 28 which is connected to a terminal T-5 connected by lead 29 to output terminal OT-9 of relay RL-9.

One end of the coil RC of relay RL9 is connected to the positive side of diode 3d, the negative side of which is connected to terminal T-6 connected to ground. The other end of coil RC of relay RL-9 is connected to terminal T-7 connected by lead 31 to terminal T-l.

To actuate the relays RL-tl to RL-9 in sequence, a bi-stable control unit 32 is provided. This unit comprises relays RL-ll and RL12, also of the polarized type and preferably mercury relays, each having a se coil SC and a reset coil RC and a movable contact arm 3.3 normally engaging fixed contact 34 and spaced from fixed contact 35.

input terminal ll" of unit 32 is connected by lead 36 to the negative sides of diodes 37 and 38, the positive sides of said diodes being connected by leads 3%) and 41 to one end of the coils SC and RC of relay RL11 and by leads 42, 43 to the positive sides of diodes 44, 45, the negative sides of which are connected together and also connected by lead 46 to reset terminal T-S.

The other ends of the coils SC and RC of relay RL-ll are connected by leads 47, 43 to the positive sides of diodes 51, 52. The negative side of diode 51 is connected by lead 53 to fixed contact 35 of relay RL-11 and also to the negative side of diode 54. The negative side of diode 52 is connected by lead 55 to fixed contact 34 of relay RL-ll, and also to the negative side of diode 56. The contact arm 33 of relay RL-ll is connected by lead 57 to terminal T-9 connected to ground.

7 The positive sides of diodes 54, 56 are connected to one end of the coils SC, RC of relay RL12, the other ends of said coils being connected to positive.

The contact arm 33 of relay RLl2 is connected through resistor 61 to terminal T-lt) connected to, say, +12 volts. Fixed contact 34 of relay RL12 is connected by lead 62 through resistor 63 to the positive side of diode 51 and by lead 64 to the positive side of diode 65, the negative side of which is connected to terminal T-ll connected by lead 66 to terminal T-1.

Fixed contact 35 of relay RL-ll is connected by lead 67 through'resistor 68 to the positive side of diode 52 and by lead 69 to the positive side of diode 71, the negative side of which is connected to terminal T-12, connected by lead 72 to terminal T-2..

Operation Toillustrate the operation of the sequential counter unit, it will be assumed that it is dcsiredtoprovide successive output signals from terminals OT-il to OT-9 related to discrete impulses effected by the closure of a switch S controlled by a rotating shaft 81.

Thus, referring to FIG. 2, the shaft 81 carries a cam 82 which will upon each complete rotation of shaft 81 cause contact arm 83, illustratively connected to ground, to be moved into engagement with fixed contact 85 connected to terminal T44, the latter being connected to input terminal IT.

As terminal T-9 is connected to ground, with the relay contacts in the position shown, a circuit will be completed from grounded terminal T-9, lead 57, closed contcats 33, 34 of relay RL-ll, diode 56, coil RC of relay RL-12 to positive. As a result, the reset coil RC of relay RL-lZ will be energized, but since the contacts of this relay are already in the reset position as shown this will have no effect.

Since contact arm 33 of relay RL12 is engaging fixed contact 34, a circuit will be completed from terminal T-10 connected to +12 volts through resistor 61, closed contacts 33,, 34 of relay RL12, lead 64, diode 65, terminal T41, lead 66 to terminal T-1 through lead 14 and coil SC of relay RL-0, diode 20 to terminal T-3 connected to ground.

As a result, coil SC of relay RL0 will be energized 41;] and the contact arm 11. of relay RL-d will engage fixed contact 13 so that the output terminal T4 will be connected through lead 1.3, closed contacts 13 and 11., lead 24, through closed contacts 12 and 11 of relays RL-ll through RL9, lead to terminal T4 connected to ground. Consequently, terminal OT-tl will be connected to ground to operate, for example, the solenoid of an electric typewriter (not shown) associated with the zero key thereof.

In addition, the lamp 1'7 associated With terminal 0T4 will be energized and one end of coil SC of relay RL-l will also be connected to ground through diode 23 and lead 21 to be readied for actuation.

When terminal T1tl is connected to terminal T-1 and lead 14, one end of coils SC of relays RL-2, RL-d, RL6, RL-S will also be connected to positive. However, as the other end of such coils will be connected through the associated diode 23 to contact 13 of the preceding relay, which is open, this will have no effect on such relays RL2, RL4, RL6, RL-8.

In addition, when terminal T-ltl is connected to terminal T-1, the reset coil RC of relay RL-9 will be energized. However, as this relay is already in the reset position, this will have no effect.

When the cam C is rotated to cause the contact arm 83 momentarily to engage fixed contact 85, the ground connection to terminal IT will be closed.

As a result, a circuit will be completed from grounded terminal IT, lead 36, diode 37, lead 39, coil SC of relay RL-lll, lead 47, resistor 63, lead 62, closed contacts 34, 33 of relay RL12, resistor 61 of terminal T-ltl connected to +12 volts.

Consequently, coil SC of relay RL-ll Will be energized to cause contact 33 thereof to engage fixed contact 35. This will break the circuit to reset coil RC of relay RL-lZ and complete a circuit from grounded terminal T-9, closed contacts 33, 35, diode 54, coil SC of relay RL-12 to positive.

As a result, the coil SC of relay RL-ll will be energized and the positive terminal T-ltti will be connected through resistor 61, contacts 33, 35, lead 69, diode 71., terminal T-12, lead '72 to terminal T-Z, and thence through lead 15 to coil SC of relays RL1, RL-3, RL-S, RL-7, RL-9. However, as only coil SC of relay RL-ll has been readied by reason of the connection of terminal OT-0 to ground, only this relay will be energized to bring its contacts 11 and 13 into engagement.

Since the relays are of the make-before-break type, the contact arm 11 of relay RL-ll will remain in electrical engagement with contact 12 of relay RL-l until it has made contact with contact 13 thereof. Hence, the ground circuit from terminal T-d to coil SC of relay RL-1 will remain closed until the contacts 11 and 13 of said relay have engaged, at which time, as the relays are of the polarized type, they will remain in engagement even after coil SC of relay RL-l is de-energized.

As a result, terminal OT-ll will be connected to ground; the associated lamp 117 will be energized and the ground circuit to terminal OT-tl Will be opened.

Consequently, the typewriter (not shown) will be actuated to type the digit 1, representing the number of actuations of switch S imparted during the current cycle.

When cam 82 has again rotated to bring contacts 83, 85 in engagement, the ground connection to terminal IT will again be closed.

As a result, a circuit will be completed from grounded terminal IT, lead 36, diode 38, coil RC of relay R-ll, resistor 68, closed contacts 33, of relay RL-12, resistor 61 to positive terminal T-ltl. Consequently, coil RC of relay 11 will be energized to cause contact 33 to engage fixed contact 34 thereof. This will complete a circuit from grounded terminal T-, lead 57, closed contacts 33, 34 of relay RL11, diode 56, coil RC of relay RL-IZ to positive. Thus, contact arm 33 will again engage fixed contact 34 to connect terminals T-lll and T-l to positive so that readied relay RL-2 will be actuated.

The above operation is repeated as the cam rotates and the relays will successively be actuated so that an output will successively appear at the output terminals OT-tl to OT-9.

When relay RL-9 has been actuated and terminal OT-9 is connected to ground, the terminal T-S will also be grounded to energize the reset coils RC of relays Rlrtl to RL8. Consequently, the contact arms 11 of said relays will now be restored into engagement with fixed contact 12 to ready the relays for the next counting cycle.

The next connection of terminal T-ll to positive will set relay RL-tl, as previously described, for the next counting cycle and also will energize reset coil RC of relay RL-9 to ready the latter for such next cycle.

The equipment may readily be reset to be readied for subsequent counting cycles by merely momentarily grounding terminal T-S and OT-9.

Assuming, for purposes of illustration, the count has reached seven so that relay RL-7 is energized, and that at such time the relay RL-12 has been energized so its contacts 33 and 35 are engaged, and also that the coil RC of relay RL-lll has been energized so that its contacts 33 and 35 are also engaged.

When the ground is applied to terminal T-8 and OT-9, referring to terminal OT-9, as it is connected to terminal T-S, the reset coils RC of relays RL-tlRL-8 will be energized to reset such relays.

Since relay Rio-9 has not been energ zed, it will remain in the reset position.

When terminal T-8 is grounded, a circuit Will be completed through lead 46, diode 45, coil RC of relay RL-ll, lead 48, resistor 68, terminals 33, 35 of relay RL-12 and resistor 61 to positive terminal T-lt).

Energization of the coil RC of relay RL-ll will cause its contacts 33, 34 to engage. As a result, a circuit will be completed through coil RC of relay RL-12 to energize such coil, thereby bringing its contacts 33, 34 into engagement,

From the foregoing, it is apparent that regardless of the position of the contacts of relays RL-11 and RL12, upon momentary application of ground to terminal T-8 if such relays are not already in the reset position they will be so reset.

With the circuit above described, a reliable, relatively high speed relay counter is provided, with relatively few parts, and which may be actuated by a single pair of SWltChlHg contacts, yet will provide two outputs for each contact closure.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A sequential counting unit comprising a relay bank having a plurality of polarized relays adapted to be successively actuated for each counting cycle, each relay having a movable contact arm and a pair of fixed contacts, said contact arm normally engaging the first of said fixed contacts and being spaced from the second of said fixed contacts, each of said relays having a setting coil con trolling said contact arm, means connecting one end of alternate setting coils of said relay bank to define two groups of connected coils, means connecting the contact arm of a preceding relay in said bank to the first fixed contact of the next succeeding relay, means to connect the contact arm of the last relay in said bank to one side of a source of potential, means to connect the other end of v) the setting coil of the first relay in said bank to said one side of a source of potential, an output terminal connected to the second fixed contact of each of said relays, means connecting the second fixed contact of a preceding relay in said bank to the other end of the setting coil of the next succeeding relay, whereby when the other side of said source of potential is alternately applied to said two groups of connected coils the relays in said bank will successively be actuated, and means to reset said relays.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which each of said relays has a resetting coil, means to energize the resetting coils of all of the relays in said bank except the last relay when the setting coil of the last relay is energized, and means to energize the resetting coil of the last relay when the setting coil of the first relay in said bank is energized, whereby all of said resetting coils will be energized.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which control means are provided alternately to apply the other side of the'source of potential to said two groups of connected coils, and first to apply the other side of said source of potential to the group of connected coils including the coil associated with the first relay in said bank at the beginning of each counting cycle.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which each of said relays has a resetting coil, means to energize the resetting coils of all of the relays in said bank except the last relay when the setting coil of the last relay is energized, control means are provided alternately to apply the other side of the source of potential to said two groups of connected coils and first to apply the other side of said source of potential to the group of connected coils including the coil associated with the first relay in said bank at the beginning of each counting cycle, and means to energize the resetting coil of the last relay when the other side of the source of potential is applied to the group of connected coils including the coil associated with the first relay in the bank.

5. As an article of manufacture, a control unit comprising a first and second polarized relay, each having a movable contact arm and a pair of fixed contacts, said contact arms normally engaging the first of said fixed contacts and being spaced from the second of said fixed contacts, each of said relays having a setting coil and a resetting coil controlling said contact arms, an input terminal connected to one side of the coils of the first of said relays, means connecting the other sides of said setting and resetting coils, respectively, of said first relay to the first and second contacts of said second relay, means to conmeet one side of a source of potential to the contact arm of said first relay, means to connect the other side of said source of potential to the contact arm of said second relay, means to connect one side of each of the coils of said second relay to the other side of a source of potential, means to connect the other side of said setting and resetting coils of said second relay to the second and first fixed contacts of said first relay and to the first and second fixed contacts of said second relay, and means when said input terminal is successively connected to said one side of a source of potential successively to energize the setting coil of said first relay, the setting coil of the second relay, the resetting coil of the first relay and the resetting coil of the second relay, whereby said other side of the source of potential will alternately be applied to the first and second contacts of said second relay.

References Cited in the file of this patent Bell Nov. 24, 1959 

1. A SEQUENTIAL COUNTING UNIT COMPRISING A RELAY BANK HAVING A PLURALITY OF POLARIZED RELAYS ADAPTED TO BE SUCCESSIVELY ACTUATED FOR EACH COUNTING CYCLE, EACH RELAY HAVING A MOVABLE CONTACT ARM AND A PAIR OF FIXED CONTACTS, SAID CONTACT ARM NORMALLY ENGAGING THE FIRST OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS AND BEING SPACED FROM THE SECOND OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS, EACH OF SAID RELAYS HAVING A SETTING COIL CONTROLLING SAID CONTACT ARM, MEANS CONNECTING ONE END OF ALTERNATE SETTING COILS OF SAID RELAY BANK TO DEFINE TWO GROUPS OF CONNECTED COILS, MEANS CONNECTING THE CONTACT ARM OF A PRECEDING RELAY IN SAID BANK TO THE FIRST FIXED CONTACT OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING RELAY, MEANS TO CONNECT THE CONTACT ARM OF THE LAST RELAY IN SAID BANK TO ONE SIDE OF A SOURCE OF POTENTIAL, MEANS TO CONNECT THE OTHER END OF THE SETTING COIL OF THE FIRST RELAY IN SAID BANK TO SAID ONE SIDE OF A SOURCE OF POTENTIAL, AN OUTPUT TERMINAL CONNECTED TO THE SECOND FIXED CONTACT OF EACH OF SAID RELAYS, MEANS CONNECTING THE SECOND FIXED CONTACT OF A PRECEDING RELAY IN SAID BANK TO THE OTHER END OF THE SETTING COIL OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING RELAY, WHEREBY WHEN THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID SOURCE OF POTENTIAL IS ALTERNATELY APPLIED TO SAID TWO GROUPS OF CONNECTED COILS THE RELAYS IN SAID BANK WILL SUCCESSIVELY BE ACTUATED, AND MEANS TO RESET SAID RELAYS. 